GM CONTRIBUTES $3.5 MILLION TO VFW HOME!

EATON RAPIDS - We can now assign a figure to the pennies that fell from heaven upon the VFW National Home for Children: $3.5 million.

The home's director, Patrice Green, called it an "extraordinary blessing" Monday.

In the last 10 days of May, Buick, Pontiac and GMC dealers throughout the U.S. sold 35,000 vehicles. True to its word, General Motors Corp. will give the VFW Home $100 for every one of them.

And the jackpot, Green said, goes beyond the cash.

"Even if we hadn't received any money, the positive press was a windfall in itself," Green said.

"We got calls from all over the country from alumni who saw the TV commercials."

Visits to the home's Web site have increased 800 percent since the promotion began.

Of course Green will take the $3.5 million, too. .

"It will allow us to continue providing services during these economic hard times," she said.